Bobbin holder for looping machines



Feb. 17, 1953 E. E. SUTPHIN 2,628,579

BOBBIN HOLDER FOR LOOPING MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1949 2 SI-IEETS--SHEET1 INVENTOR. 5. GUI/Ink Feb. 17, 1953 E. E. SUTPHIN 2,628,579

BOBBIN HOLDER FOR LOOPING MACHINES Filed Sept. 9, 1949 2Sl-iEETS-.Sl-IEET 2 INVENTIOR. /mer' E. Sat mm I filial, Ml,

' flit orneys Patented Feb. 17,1953

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBBIN HOLDER FOR LOOPIN G MACHINES Elmer E.Sutphin, Pulaski, Va.

Application September 9, 1949, Serial No. 114,842

3 Claims.

This invention relates to thread release and tensioning devices fortextile machines, and more particularly to a thread unreeling andtensioning device for a hosiery looping machine.

In textile machines now in use for looping the toe seams of hosiery, andfor similar purposes, the thread spools or bobbins are stationarilymounted on a carrier and the thread is pulled off of these bobbins orspools as it is used by the machine. This pulling of the thread off ofsuch a stationary bobbin or spool puts an extra twist in the threadbeyond that imparted in the threadspinning operations and thisadditional twist causes the thread to kink and knot in the machine,resulting in uneven stitches or loops and frequent breakage of thethread.

This method of feeding the thread also produces uneven tension whichcauses the thread to pull and sliver, and results in an imperfectproduct. Also, the single-tensioning unit employed in machines now inuse has no effect in reducing the fluctuations in the thread tension andhas a tendency to aggravate the kinking and knotting condition caused byover-twisting the thread.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improvedspool or bobbin carrier having means for turning the spools or bobbinsas the thread is removed or unwound therefrom to eliminate any extratwist in the thread incident to the unwinding or unreeling operation,and to also reduce or eliminate any tension in the thread as it leavesthe spool or bobbin and thereby eliminate variations in the threadtension, which provides a'plurality of thread-tensioning devices whichoperate together to apply the proper tension to the thread, butindividually resist movement of the thread to an extent that causes nomaterial pulling, stretching, twisting or breaking of the thread, whichcan be applied to an existing hosiery-looping machine without materialmodification of the machine construction, and does not interfere in anyway with the normal operation of the machine, and which is simple anddurable in construction, and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of ahosiery-looping machine showing the application thereto of a threadbobbin carrier, illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine fragment and thread bobbincarrier illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawings, the numeral I0 indicates thearm of a known form of hosiery knitting machine. This arm isrightangular in shape and includes a substantially vertical trunkportion II, an extended base I2 on the bottom end of the trunk portionfor attaching the machine to a support, such as a table I3, and a boomportion I4 projecting outwardly from the upper end of the trunk portionII and substantially horizontally disposed. The machine is driven by ashaft I5 having thereon a belt pulley I6 and a hand crank I! formanually setting the machine. The shaft I5 is driven from a main shaftI8 journaled in the trunk II of the machine arm through a worm gear I9mounted on the shaft I5, and a worm 20 mounted on the main shaft I8. Themain shaft may be driven by a suitable power plant, such as an electricmotor.

As the hosiery-looping machine is of known construction and constitutesno part of the present invention, except in the combination thereof withthe improved thread release or bobbin carrier, it is consideredunnecessary to further illustrate or describe this machine.

The thread carrier comprises an upright stand 2| having on its lower endan extended base 22 for attachment to the table or support I3 upon whichthe machine is mounted, and this stand carries on its upper end anelongated platform, generally indicated at 23.

The platform 23 comprises a substantially horizontal bottom rail 24secured at its midlength location to the upper end of the stand 2 I, anupper rail 25 spaced above and substantially parallel to and coterminouswith the lower rail 24, and two substantially vertical struts 26 and 2'!extending between the lower and upper rails 24 and 25 nearrespectively-opposite ends of the rails.

The rails 24 and 25 are provided, near their respectively-opposite ends,with vertically-registering apertures, and two upright spindles 28 and29 are journaled in the platform rails at respectively-opposite ends ofthe platform. A circular plate or disc 30 is secured on the spindle 28immediately above the top rail 25 of the platform, and a bobbin holder3|, Figure 4, extends above the plate 30 to receive a thread spool orbobbin 32.

A plate or disc 33, similar to the plate or disc 30 is mounted on thespindle 29 immediately above the platform upper rail 25, and aprojection, not illustrated, extends upwardly from this plate to receiva thread spool or bobbin 34. A post 35 extends upwardly from themid-length location of the platform top rail 25, and a bar 36 is securedat its mid-length location to the top of post 35 and extends laterallyabove the two bobbins 32 and 34. Near its opposite ends the bar 36 isprovided with thread-guide apertures 31 and 38 through which the threadsfrom the two bobbins are led to the machine.

Two thread bobbins are used, so that, when one bobbin is depleted thethread of the reserve bobbin may be connected to the thread of thedepleted bobbin and operation of the machine maintained withoutsubstantial interruption.

A bearing block 40 is secured to one end of the base 22 in position torest upon the table or support [3, and an upright arbor 41 is, journaledin this bearing. The upper end of the arbor 4i is provided with a borewhich receives the lower nd of spindle 29 and with notches at oppositesides thereof which receive a pin 42 extending transversely through thespindle 29 near its lower end, the notches and the pin 42 providing alongitudinally-separable driving connection between the arbor 4| and thespindle 29.

A worm gear 43 is secured on the arbor 4|, and a worm 44 is secured onthe main shaft [8 and meshes with the worm gear 43. In providing theimproved thread release of the invention, the existing main shaft 58 ofthe machine is removed and a somewhat longer main shaft is substitutedtherefor, sothat the substituted main shaft will extend from the worm 2%to the worm 44 in addition to the extent of the original main shaft.

With this construction, when the looping machine is-in operation, thespindle 29 will be rotated at a speed proportional to the operatingspeed of the looping machine.

A jack shaft 45 extends through the platform between the upper and lowerrails 24 and 25, and is journaled near its opposite ends in the struts26 and 21, respectively A beveled gear 46 is mounted on the shaft 45 atthe end thereof adjacent the spindle 29, and a beveled gear 41 securedon the spindle 29 meshes with and drives the gear 46. A second beveledgear 48 is secured on shaft 45 at the opposite end of the shaft and abeveled gear 49 is secured on spindle 28 and meshes with gear 48 todrive the spindle when the shaft 45 is rotated.

The gears 46, 41, 48 and 49 are of such relative sizes that the twospindles 28 and 28 are driven .a-tsubstantially the same speed while theworm 'gear 43 and worm 44 are of such ratio that the spindles are drivenat a speed having a predetermined ratio to the operating speed of thetextile machine.

A lug projects from the platform rail 24 and a headed pin 52 is securedto this lug at one side thereof. A link 53 has, near one end, anelongated slot 54 receiving the pin 52 and is pivotally secured at itsopposite end to the adjoining end of a second link 55. The opposite ndof the second link is pivotally secured to the machine arm at a locationadjacent the original thread-tensioning device 56 of the machine.

Two additional thread-tensioning devices 51 and 58 are carried by thelink 55 and the thread fed to th machine is led through all three of thetensioning devices 56, 51 and 58. The pressure; on all of thethread-tensioning devices is 4 adjusted, so that all three devicesprovide substantially the same tension originally provided y the singledevice 56, and the pressure app to the thread is thus greatly reduced.

In the operation of the machine, the thread bobbins are turned in adirection to unwind the threads therefrom, so that the thread is loosebetween the bobbin in use and the first nearest tensioning device 58. Asthere is no tension on the thread as it leaves the bobbin, the threadtension will not be varied by the variable resistances encountered inpulling the thread off of a stationary spool or bobbin. No extra twistwill thus be given to the thread, and the thread will not be jerked andpulled in a manner to cause it to kink or knot. By reducing thetensioning device pressure on the thread, the tendency of such devicesto cause pulling, slivering and twisting of the thread is also minimizedand practically eliminated.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a support, a looping machine including an armmounted at one end on said support and adapted to carry loopingmechanism at the other end thereof and a drive shaft extending alongsaid arm for driving the associated mechanism, and a bobbin carriercomprising an upright stand mounted on said support adjacent said oneend of said arm and havmg a substantially horizontally disposed platformat its upper end, a bobbin spindle journaled in upright position in saidplatform and extending thereabove to receive a thread bobbin, a bearingcarried by said stand below said platform, an arbor journaled in saidbearin and drivingly connected at its upper end to the lower end of saidspindle, a worm gear on said arbor, and a worm on said drive shaftmeshing with said worm gear to drive said spindle at a speedproportional to the operating speed of the associated looping machine.

2. In combination with a support, a looping machine including an armmounted at one end on said support and adapted to carry loopingmechanism at the other end thereof and a drive shaft extending alongsaid arm for driving the associated mechanism, and a bobbin carriercomprismg an upright stand mounted on said support adjacent said one endof said arm and having a substantially horizontally disposed platform atlts upper end, bobbin spindles journaled in upright position in saidplatform in spaced apart relationship to each other, a bearing on saidstand below said platform, an arbor journaled in said bearing anddrivingly connected at its upper end to the lower end of one of saidspindles, means carried by said platform drivingly connecting said onespindle to the other of said spindles for rotation of said spindles inthe same direction at substantially the same speed, a worm gear on saidarbor, and a worm on said drive shaft meshing w1th said worm gear fordriving said spindles at a speed proportional to the speed of theassociated looping machine.

3. In combination with a support, a looping machine including an armmounted at one end on said support and adapted to carry loopingmechanism at'the other end thereof and a drive shaft extendin along saidarm for driving the associated mechanism, and a bobbin carriercomprising an upright stand mounted on said support adjacent "said oneend of said arm and having a substantially horizontally disposedplatform at its upper end; bobbin spindles journaled in upright positionin said platform in spaced apart relationship to each other, a bearingon said stand below said platform, an arbor journaled in said bearingand drivingly connected at its upper end to the lower end of one of saidspindles, means carried by said platform drivingly connecting said onespindle to the other of said spindles for rotation of said spindles inthe same direction at substantially the same speed, a worm gear on saidarbor, a worm on said drive shaft meshing 20 with said worm gear fordriving said spindles at a speed proportional to the speed of theassociated looping machine, a bar supported at one end by said stand andsupported at its other end REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 79,297 Atherton June 30, 1868724,776 Banks Apr. 7, 1903 809,855 Starr et al. Jan. 9, 1906 900,155Eastwood et al. Oct. 6, 1908 1,513,403 Lebeis Oct. 28, 1924 2,370,922Siegenthaler Mar. 6, 1945 2,391,957 Fenner et a1. Jan. 1, 1946 2,438,034Brugger Mar. 16, 1948

